Twisted Feelings of Love
by MoshiMomo
Summary: After the Blue Squares are taken over by the Dollars, Aoba is left shocked by Mikado's true nature. Mikado is taking control of Ikebukero, and Aoba is left to follow his new leader. Aoba enjoys being Mikado's pawn, but is worried what might happen if Mikado is tempted by another person... MikadoxAoba, Mizaya, MiKida and other pairings will be included. Rating may change later on.
1. 1: Loyal to our Leader

Note for readers:

Hi everyone! It's been many years since I've written a fanfic, but I wanted to get back into writing lately. The new seasons of Durarara! and the development of characters such as Mikado and Aoba inspired me to write this. There will mainly be Mikado x Aoba, and a little Mikado x Izaya & Mikado x Kida later on. I don't think I'm going to make this into a lemon, but maybe later down the line (if requested) I'll change my mind. ;)

My style of writing may be kinda tedious due to my slow pace, but if you like character development and all that good stuff then you should be fine! ^_^ I also try to stick to info from the Light Novels to stay true to the characters.

Enjoy!

* * *

The shadows of night stretched across the bustling city of Ikebukero and the dim glow of a street lamp unveiled a boy casually strolling by. The young teen scanned the screen of his cell phone and felt a grin stretch across his face. The boy then snapped his phone closed and looked out at the luminous city. This was his new home; the place where he loved to be the most. The boy knew that in the shadows of Ikebukero lie the unknown; the seemingly impossible. This was exactly what made his heart beat with anticipation and excitement. He was now walking among these shadows and was determined not to be left behind by them. The teen gripped a pen soiled with blood tightly and contently thought to himself: _"The pawns are in my hand…"_

The leader of the Blue Squares held his bandaged hand to his chest and felt his heart beat faster. He greatly underestimated the leader of the Dollars and paid the price. Even the informant, Izaya Orihara, had underestimated Mikado Ryugamine. Who, or what that boy was, was something so enigmatic- something so unpredictable that the blue-haired boy was still shocked at the events that had happened. Aoba stood alone in the emptiness of the abandoned building. Unknown to the boy himself, his body was trembling. He thought he was going to take control of the Dollars, but was instead completely devoured by a single boy. Touching his bandaged hand, the boy spoke aloud. "Mikado… senpai…" A faint blush crept upon his face. "Just who… what in the world are you?"

* * *

In the days after the incident involving the two gang leaders, Mikado was the happiest he'd ever been. Happier than the times he spent with his childhood friend, Masaomi, and his romantic interest, Anri Sonohara. He now had power, and could use that power to keep his life different and interesting. The Power to live in the shadows of Ikebukero and evolve himself. Nothing was more important than his own desires, and now things were finally happening in his favor.

The blue-eyed teen found himself spending less and less time with Anri and more with Aoba and the other Blue Squares members. He could tell that the gang members were not loyal to him, but to his second in command; Aoba Kuronuma. Mikado was aware of this, but was secretly preparing himself for the impending 'betrayal.'

The leader of the Blue Squares spent his time searching for means to gain an upper hand against the Dollars, but to no avail. The teen didn't come across as a trustworthy person, so many rejected his offer of an alliance. Aoba cursed to himself, but his position of being Mikado's second in command didn't make him unhappy. In fact, Aoba found himself almost enjoying following the orders from his senpai and even excitedly anticipated what Mikado was planning next. What he personally wanted wasn't power or status, but the freedom to be reckless. He wanted to expand the "sea" he swam in, and Mikado was doing exactly that for him.

"Mikado senpai!"

Upon hearing this, the older teen turned his head to greet his kouhai.

"Kuronuma-kun… how is everything going?"

Aoba caught up to Mikado and walked beside him, tilting his head up to match the gaze of the other's deep blue eyes.

"Everything has been going as planned. The others finished taking care of the "trash" and are waiting for us at the usual place."

Mikado smiled warmly at this news and moved his gaze in front of him.

"Good, you all did well. Now we can look more in to this "stalker" case. Trash like him won't be able to soil the name of the Dollars for much longer."

Aoba found himself having to quicken his pace to match the other's. The younger teen saw the eagerness of his leader and smirked to himself.

"Right. We've gathered information of the suspect and made a plan. I'll tell you the details when we meet up with the others."

"I knew I could count on you, Kuronuma-kun." Mikado smiled at the younger teen. He noticed that Aoba was gripping his bandaged hand and even struggled to keep a complacent face. Ever since he had shown his "black feelings" to the blue-haired boy, he had noticed a distinct change the other's tone and demeanor. The one who referred to him as "senpai" and often spoke with a condescending tone was now rather soft spoken and respectful. Mikado wasn't entirely sure, but he thought he even detected fear in the other.

Aoba noticed Mikado staring at his bandaged hand and felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand. He was still unable to gauge Mikado's potential, and that made him fearful. He still felt Mikado's silent hostility towards him, so he made an effort to follow his orders precisely without resistance. Despite this fear he felt... no, maybe it was because of the fear he felt that Aoba's heart raced in excitement whenever he was beside his leader.

* * *

This chapter was mainly character development/plot building, but I hope you enjoyed it anyways!

Thanks for reading! ^_^

~Momo


	2. 2: Risks and Reuniting

So this is sort of a recap of the events that happen in the novel, so if you don't want it to be spoiled then I suggest finding something else to read. I'm not following the novel exactly. (This is my own interpretation.)

After this chapter I'm going to break from the light novel and do my own thing. Then you'll see all the Mikado x whoever fluff.

Enjoy~

* * *

The two Raira students, now dressed in their casual clothes, stood at the front of the room surrounded by several other teens. The room was silent as the members of the Blue Squares cautiously eyed their new leader. Mikado checked the information on his cell, texting at speeds that surprised even Aoba. Finally with a satisfied "Humph," the leader snapped his phone shut and made eye contact with the other members.

"I've narrowed down his location. We're going to carry out the plan we discussed. Is everyone familiar with their roles?"

The teens in the room nodded their heads in agreement and rose from their seated positions. Aoba smirked and turned to speak to Mikado.

"We're going to take out Hijiribe Ruri's stalker once and for all. Are you prepared for this, senpai?"

The younger teen saw Mikado frown and thought he almost saw a slight blush on his face, but the teen quickly shook it off.

"Of course. We're going to take revenge for defiling the name of the Dollars. Aoba, come with me. Everyone else wait at the location we discussed for the signal."

* * *

A few hours passed, and the Blue Squares patiently waited where they were told. Suddenly, the sound of numerous heavy footsteps could be heard and gang donned their uniform shark masks and readied themselves. A girl with short brown hair dashed passed them and entered an abandoned parking structure, followed by a large man with a shaven head and a dozen other men. The girl was cornered and helplessly backed away from the approaching pack of men.

"I finally found you, Hijiribe Ruri~" The man with the shaven head reached out to grab the girl but was interrupted by the sound of footsteps surrounding him. The members of the Blue Squares rushed in and began to brawl the group suspicious men. Bewildered, the man turned back to face his target but was surprised to see the girl tear her hair off and throw the apparent wig at his feet.

A teenage boy with blue eyes and short black hair met his glare and the man was astonished.

"Kisuke Adabashi. You are no longer a member of the Dollars and are banned from the site."

After a moment of shock, the opposing man became hysterical. The young teen flinched as the sound of booming laughter filled every inch of the room.

"Who the hell do you think you are, brat? And where's my Hijiribe?" The man known as Kisuke burst out in absurd wrath as he forcefully grabbed the boy's neck.

"We're… taking revenge… for the crimes you committed…"

Mikado was barely able to stammer out those few words before his head was slammed against a solid concrete wall.

Aoba, who was preoccupied fighting multiple henchmen at once, glanced over for a brief second and witnessed his leader get severely wounded.

"Senpai!" The blue-haired boy shouted out, but was helpless to interfere due to his current position.

All he could do was grit his teeth and listen to the stomach turning sounds of his leader being brutalized.

"This… is for… trying to fool me!" Kisuke roared as he continued throwing punches with all his strength.

Mikado face was wet with blood and his sight was slowly fading. With every blow to his face and kick to his ribs, he could feel his bones break. The young teen had never experienced this amount of trauma and pain, and his own body was slowly failing him. Just as he was losing consciousness, the man was suddenly stricken by a strong force. Without flinching, Kisuke turned his attention away to see what had caused the attack.

A teen with dyed blonde hair stood behind the man and dropped the now broken blunt object at his feet. The blonde teen appeared to be fearful, but was determined to save the boy who was being attacked. The already enraged man quickly changed his target to the stranger and began ruthlessly attacking the boy.

The young teen was also helpless to the beatings from the savage man. Just as the blonde was beginning to lose his grip on consciousness, he was alarmed by the pungent smell of kerosene. The teen looked up to witness his assailant become engulfed in flames.

The blue-eyed boy stood with a lighter in his hand and a discarded container of kerosene by his feet as the sight of raging fire reflected on his goggles. The large man was now screaming in pain as the flames engulfed his flesh and caused him to frantically dash out of the building.

Upon seeing their leader defeated, Kisuke's henchmen scattered. The parking lot was now occupied only by the group of teens wearing shark masks and the two heavily injured boys.

The blonde teen looked up to see the arson standing before him. The boy was eerily calm as he stood wearing a complacent smile that stretched across his bloody face.

What the blonde teen had witnessed may have been the cruelest thing he'd ever seen. That boy just burned that man alive without a second thought. The only person who he could imagine that was able of doing such a merciless thing was the leader of the Blue Squares. The blonde teen spoke in a barely audible voice.

"Kuronuma… Aoba?"

The arsonist looked over to the blonde teen and responded by removing their goggles. Calm, eerie blue eyes met shocked amber eyes.

"…Mikado... Is that really... you? What-"

Before the blonde could finish his sentence the other teen interrupted him.

"Kida…kun. We aren't supposed to meet yet."

Kida knelt in stunned silence. He was shocked to see his childhood friend before him.

"I'm still creating a place for you here… so please wait for me."

The blue-eyed teen was greeted by two other Blue Squares members who each put an arm around him and helped him into a van. The blonde stared at the person who appeared to be Mikado.

"Mikado… What's going on? "

Mikado coolly smiled at his friend before the doors of the van closed and sped off into the night.

* * *

Aoba sat beside the blue-eyed teen and eyed his wounded body.

Mikado, still calmly smiling, turned to the younger teen and cheerfully spoke.

"I think that went well. We successfully took care of Hijiribe's stalker. Our plan worked."

Surprised by his words, Aoba gazed into Mikado's eyes.

"I… we thought you were a goner… senpai."

The older teen chuckled softly to himself.

"I couldn't have done it without everyone's help. You have my thanks."

The blue-haired boy glanced back at Mikado and sighed to himself. He wanted to better understand what was going on inside the older teen's head, but smiled slightly in amusement. Mikado was exactly what he- what the Blue Squares needed. He couldn't afford to lose such a valuable person…

* * *

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think of it so far or if you have any suggestions. ^_^

~Momo


	3. 3: Calm After the Storm

Prepare yourself for MikadoxAoba fluff!

Enjoy!

* * *

The morning light crept through the glass of the window and illuminated the silent room. The brightness caused the black-haired boy to stir in his sleep. A sudden sharp pain made the boy lurch from his sleep, and soon his whole body was engulfed in agony. The teen moaned in discomfort, but was soon soothed by something cold and damp being placed on his forehead. He slowly opened one eye to see a familiar blue-haired boy leaning over his body with a damp wash cloth in his hand.

"Kuronuma… kun?" The teen said in a hoarse voice.

"Mikado-senpai… you're awake. How are you feeling?"

The boy grunted softly under his breath and briefly looked around the room.

"I'm fine… but where is this?"

The blue-haired boy began to wipe the sweat off the other's body before responding.

"This is my place. Don't worry, I live alone."

Mikado tried to sit up, but his attempt only made his body ache in more pain.

"Try to keep still. I treated your visible wounds, but I think you broke a few ribs."

The older teen felt his arm was definitely broken from the previous night, but it was surprisingly well doctored and wrapped neatly in a sling. As for the rest of his body… well he certainly broke at least a few ribs.

"Did you treat my wounds? … and why didn't you didn't take me to a hospital?"

Aoba fidgeted slightly, before speaking.

"You passed out in the van so I decided it would be best to treat you myself. If we took you to a hospital with wounds like that, they would surely question us. We can ask a private doctor to look at your internal wounds later."

Mikado thought silently to himself. There was Shinra, but he was currently in a coma… Maybe Izaya could refer him to another underground doctor. The teen looked over at Aoba and studied his face. The boy's eyes were red with exhaustion and his clothes were soiled with blood. He assumed that the younger was awake all night treating his wounds and had no sleep himself.

"Aoba-kun"

The younger teen jumped slightly at the mention of his first name.

"Yes… Mikado-senpai?"

Mikado smiled softly as he spoke.

"Thank you. You've really helped me out. I'm fine for the time being, so you should get some rest."

Aoba stared at the blue-eyed teen. He gave Mikado his futon to use, and he didn't even think of sleep while the other was unconscious. The young teen sighed before replying.

"I'm not the one with the severe injuries. You need the rest. I'll be fine."

Mikado's smile disappeared and his countenance became stern.

"You need rest just as much as I do… Consider this an **order**."

The younger teen felt a chill go down his spine. Mikado used the same tone as he did when he gave him his very first order. The order to _stomach his wrath_. The blue-haired teen sighed, but noticed this opportunity to " _play with fire_."

"But Mikado-senpai, you're using my only futon. Where am I supposed to sleep?"

The younger teen smirked, but was surprised to be suddenly grabbed by the other. The blue-eyed teen held the other with his unbroken arm by the neck of his shirt and gazed coolly into his eyes.

"You can borrow this arm, Aoba-kun. There's enough room to lay down here."

Upon hearing this, the blue-haired boy blushed deeply and quickly hid his face in his hand.

"If it's an order…"

Aoba gently laid next to the elder and rested his head on the offered arm. He chose to face away from Mikado, trying to avoid eye contact with him. He couldn't help noticing how slender the older teen's arms were... He remembered the night before how he'd looked dressed as Hijiribe Ruri… The boy reminisced seeing Mikado's face as he helped him into his wig. The older teen was embarrassed that he had to dress like a girl, but did so anyway to get the jump on Kisuke Adabashi. Just how did he think he was going to hold up in a fight against that maniac with a body like… this? Aoba felt his face grow hotter and tried to hide it from sight.

The older teen noticed this discomfort in the other, but chose to ignore it for the time being. Using the temporary silence, the gang leader reflected on the events from the previous night. He and the Blue Squares got Adabashi out of the way. Masaomi saw him… now he might get in the way of his future plans. Shinra was still in a coma, and now he himself was incapacitated. He thought he should call Izaya later when he was alone for some advice.

After a while, the injured teen began to feel the weight of his own eyelids and exhaustion caught up with both of the boys. The two teens finally dozed off.

* * *

Unknown to them, however, a man smirking through a pair of binoculars viewed their moment of peace from afar through the brightly lit windowpanes.

"Oh Tanaka-kun. You're sleeping face is just too cute~ Hurry up and come running to me for advice already…"

The suspicious man then snapped a picture of the sleeping boy and began laughing to himself.

"Oh, how I simply love humans… especially ones that never cease to surprise me like _you_ , Taro Tanaka-kun~"


	4. 4: Dealing with the Devil

The sound of a door clicking shut caused the blue-haired boy to stir in his sleep. Rolling over to his side, the teen came to his senses and noticed something was awry. The futon which was previously occupied by the Dollar's leader was now vacant. Aoba reached over and felt the sheets beside him. They were still warm so the other boy couldn't be far. The teen rubbed his eyes and studied the digital clock on his dresser.

 _I can't believe it's this late… we must have slept through the whole day_.

The formerly brightly lit window now framed the blackened night sky. An occasional car could be heard whirring past the dwelling- however at this hour no credulous person would be seen wandering the streets.

 _Where could Mikado-senpai have gone this late at night? With his injuries I'm surprised he could get out of bed by himself…_

Aoba rose to his feet and quietly made his way to the threshold of his apartment. He lived on the third floor of a rather large complex in a neighborhood that some would describe as shady. Standing on the tips of his toes, the young teen looked through the peephole of his front door and spotted the familiar black-haired teen. Mikado was leaning on a column holding his cell phone to his ear looking off in the distance at nothing in particular. The younger teen then pressed his ear to the door and heard a barely audible voice emitting from the opposite side of the door.

* * *

(Mikado's perspective)

* * *

 _A few moments before…_

Shortly after the blue-eyed teen woke from his sleep, the screen of his cell phone lit and a familiar name appeared on the display. Despite the intense pain the teen was still experiencing, the boy managed to rise from the futon he was resting in and make his through Aoba's apartment. He was careful not to wake the sleeping teen as he made his discreet departure.

Mikado closed the door behind him and took a moment to check his surroundings. The windows of the nearby apartments were darkened and the streets appeared to be vacant. The teen then snapped his cell phone open and answered the caller.

"Good evening… Orihara-san?"

"Ah, hello there Mikado-kun. It's been a while hasn't it?"

The voice on the line was cheerful; usual to the informant's character.

"Yeah, it has hasn't it?"

"I've heard you've been rather busy with your new friends. How has that been for you?"

There was a long pause before the younger male replied in a low voice.

"I don't think I need to bother answering that question Orihara-san. We both know what has been going on lately."

Laughter sounded from the teen's cell and a few moments passed. The older male took a breath before changing his tone to a more serious one.

"Let me get straight to the point then. I know your current situation and I'm calling to offer you something."

A cool gust of wind chilled the teen, aggravating his wounds. Mikado found himself starting to break into a cold sweat, but bit his lip to steady himself.

"What do you want, Orihara-san?"

"I'll refer you to someone trustworthy who can treat your wounds and I can give you advice with the Dollars. I'll even allow you to lay low with me in Shinjuku until you can get back on your feet… but in exchange, you have to give me something."

The blue-eyed teen carefully listened; trying to detect any malicious intent from the other.

"If it's money, I'm limited but-"

"I'm not interested in your money, Mikado. What I want… is more like a service. Something I can only ask of you. We can discuss the conditions at a later time if you'd like."

Mikado remained silent- trying to find any traps in the deal the informant offered. What could the informant want from him that he couldn't ask anyone else? Control of the Dollars? Information? Was he trying to keep him away from the Blue Squares so Aoba and the others could plot against him? After much thought, the teen's curiosity got the best of him as he decided to entertain Izaya's plan.

"I won't commit to anything until I know what you want from me, but I am willing to meet with you to discuss it."

"Alright, that's fine with me… but just so you know, I won't send any help unless we reach an agreement. Let me know when you make your decision. Until then, have fun with your little kouhai~"

The informant said the last line in a condescending tone before abruptly ending the call. Mikado stared at the display of his phone for a few seconds before snapping his phone shut. In a way, the younger teen looked up to the twisted informant. Mikado had a whole network of people in Ikebukero to help him gather information, yet this single man seemed to always be one step ahead of him. This made his heart beat with anticipation… with the excitement he craved… yet at the same time this made him extremely weary of the older man and his questionable intentions. Izaya's motive wasn't always in Mikado's best interest, however the informant was always pushing him to take action with his gang- and that was something that leader of the Dollar's was thankful for.

* * *

The blue-haired boy stood facing the door with his fists tightly clenched. What was Izaya plotting? And what did it have to do with Mikado? He had finally found something so fascinating… Someone who added depth to his life. Mikado was more than just a figurehead for the Blue Squares… he was **his** leader, and he wasn't about to let that _flea_ take his new plaything away from him. Why did Mikado have so much trust in that man?

 _Why can't he just rely more on me…_

Aoba came to his senses when he heard footsteps nearing the door and hurried back into the other room. He wanted to avoid the elder catching him eavesdropping, so he quickly tried to find something to occupy himself.

A few moments later the front door clicked open and the Dollar's leader staggered inside. The teen held onto the wall for support and his breathing was unstable. As the teen looked up, he was startled at the sight of the blue-haired teen. Aoba was rummaging through a cabinet before turning to acknowledge his presence.

"Kuronuma-kun… you're awake?"

The young teen flashed a fake smile before responding.

"Yeah, I just woke up. Where have you been?"

Mikado averted his eyes before answering the question.

"I wanted to get some fresh air. Sorry, did I wake you?"

The blue-haired teen studied the other's face and noticed how pale he was. He then grabbed a bottle of medicine and scanned the label.

"Nah, don't worry about it- I'm a light sleeper…"

The teen paused for a brief moment before continuing.

"It must have hurt getting up by yourself with those injuries… but whatever. Here's some pain killer. You look like you could use some, senpai."

Aoba held out his hand containing the medicine for the other to take, but was startled when he saw Mikado begin to collapse. Aoba rushed over and embraced the staggering teen; preventing him from falling forward.

"Oi, Mikado-senpai! Are you alright?!"

The felled boy was unresponsive and his face crumpled in pain. The blue-haired boy froze- not knowing what to do. In distress, he looked around for something he could use to help. The teen then remembered the pain killers in his hand and without thinking of any other idea, he put pills in his mouth. Aoba felt his pulse quicken as he connected his lips with the other. He felt the wet warmth of the other's mouth as he tried to frantically administer the pills. After a bit of struggling, the young teen successfully managed to force the medication down the other's throat. The older teen swallowed the pills and began to cough violently. A small amount of blood spattered from the boy's mouth as he coughed- frightening the younger teen.

After a few minutes the teen's breathing stabilized. Aoba sighed in relief, but gave a worried look to his unconscious leader.

 _He probably has some internal bleeding from the broken ribs… He needs professional medical attention._

Aoba cursed under his breath and clenched his fist. He had to ask for that man's help- the informant who he despised with every fiber in his body. As he dialed in the man's name on his phone's contact list, his stomach turned.

"Orihara… san. I need your help."

* * *

To be continued~


	5. 5: Red vs Blue

A/N:

Hi everyone! I just wanted to apologize for not updating in such a long time. I thought I could get a few chapters out before I started college, but I was so busy it didn't happen. I'm still drowning in homework, but I'll do my best to update this as often as possible!

Thanks for your patience, and enjoy!

* * *

The sound of a keyboard clicking sounded throughout the room as the black-haired man's face was illuminated by a lit computer monitor. Izaya sat back into his large office chair and yawned loudly. It wasn't like him to stay up this late, however he wanted to talk to Mikado as soon as possible.

The informant thought out loud to himself:

"Haha, that kid never ceases to amaze me. Just how long does he plan on being stubborn? Ah well, whatever. He'll call me sooner or later."

Izaya rose from his chair and started to walk towards his bedroom. Before the informant was able to grasp the doorknob to his bedroom, he was alarmed by the sudden vibration from one of his cell phones. Thinking it was Mikado calling him, Izaya quickly retrieved his phone and studied the screen. The informant was surprised to see a name other than Mikado's appear. Somewhat bemused, he answered the call.

"Ah, Aoba-kun. Calling me at this hour?"

There was a short pause on the other end of the line.

"Orihara…san. I need your help."

The voice on the other end of the line was mixed with anger and fear. Izaya knew Aoba was currently with Mikado… did something happen?

"Oh my, you're the last person I'd expect to ask me for help. What do you want from me?"

"It's Mikado… he was hurt pretty badly and he just collapsed. Could you refer us to a private doctor?"

"Oh, something happened to Mikado? Ah, yes. I have a very good friend who might be willing to help at this hour… but don't think I would do this without something in return, Aoba-kun."

Aoba knew Izaya was feigning ignorance from the tone in his voice, but decided to save his questioning for later. The young teen swallowed hard before replying.

"I'll do whatever it takes. Just help Mikado."

Izaya could feel the edges of his mouth curl into a smile and he could not help laughing at the boy's desperation. Now he was going to get two birds with one stone, and this made him very enthusiastic.

"Alright, I'll send someone to pick you two up and I'll meet you in my office in Shinjuku. See you soon, kouhai-kun~"

Izaya abruptly snapped his cell phone shut and turned to walk back to his desk.

 _I guess I'm not going to get any sleep tonight. Oh well, at least things are interesting~_

* * *

The blue-haired teen paced back and forth along the entryway of the apartment. Between looking outside his window and checking his cell phone for new messages, he would examine the collapsed teen on his floor. Suddenly, a disturbing thought occurred to the boy.

 _I never told Izaya where I live… so does that mean he-_

The sound of car tires pulling up near the apartment interrupted the anxious teen and a few moments later a knock sounded on his front door. Aoba quickly reacted by peering out of the door's peephole before answering. A towering man whose face was concealed with a white medical mask stood at the other side of the door. Aoba noticed the man was wearing the attire of a common laboror and assumed this to be one of Izaya's underlings. He cautiously opened his door to welcome the man in.

The visitor spoke in a low voice.

"I'm here for the boy. You the Kuronuma kid?"

Aoba was displeased that this man knew his name and where he lived, but he cast aside his annoyance and responded.

"He's over there. Careful; he has broken ribs and a concussion."

The large man grunted in response as he hastily strode over to the unconscious boy. He effortlessly picked up the lanky teen and was careful not to disturb his wounded body. Mikado was so light that even Aoba had no difficulties carrying him the night before. The man then took the two teens into the parked van and the three promptly departed.

* * *

There was little traffic on the streets of Tokyo at the time of their departure, so it only took a few minutes to arrive at their destination. As the three entered the office, they were greeted by the familiar informant and man in a white lab coat. The man looked very similar to Shinra, except he wearing a large gas mask that covered his entire face. Aoba turned his attention towards Izaya, who spoke to the large man carrying Mikado.

"Ah, good work. Take him into that room and I'll pay you shortly."

The large man lumbered in the direction of the indicated room while carrying Mikado and the man in the lab coat followed him. The main office was now only occupied by the blue-haired teen and the informant.

The sun began to rise and it bathed the room in a faint orange light. Aoba noticed dark circles under the informant's eyes, and guessed he himself had them from exhaustion as well. As the teen glanced around the office space, he barely noticed the informant pour two cups of tea and place them on a coffee table. Izaya sat down on the sofa and gestured for the other to sit opposite from him.

"Aoba-kun, take a seat. We have something to discuss, don't we?"

Aoba remembered the deal that they made over the phone, and reluctantly sat down across from him.

"What do you want?"

"How discourteous. At least greet me properly first."

The informant's remark earned him a scowl from the teen. Aoba had always detested Izaya Orihara, and every word that came from the informant's lips seemed to add oil to that flame of hatred.

"Izaya… san. I don't want to play any of your annoying games."

"As impatient as ever. Mikado-kun would surely scold you for speaking so impolitely to an elder."

Upon hearing Mikado's name, the teen reacted slightly. The informant noticed this and smirked before continuing.

"What I want you to do is to leave Mikado and the Dollars alone for one week."

Aoba lurched forward in his seat and glared at the informant in shock.

"What are you planning, you bastard?"

"I just want Mikado to have a speedy recovery without being bothered."

The teen knew that the other was obviously hiding something from him, but pushing would get him nowhere. Without being able to do anything else, the teen complied.

"Fine. I don't know what you're planning to do with Mikado, but as long as he remains the leader of the Blue Squares and the Dollars I'll accept.

Izaya leaned forward in his seat and narrowed his eyes, still sarcastically smiling at the young teen.

"Ah, without your precious leader your little gang would be rather boring, no? It would be a shame if Mikado ever decided to do something else with the Dollars…"

* * *

-to be continued...

* * *

Thanks for reading!


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